Helping Israeli and Ukrainian newcomers find respite during war

Since the Israel-Hamas war began, we have helped over 90 Israelis who are here for temporary respite. This is in addition to welcoming over 300 Jewish Ukrainians since March 2022. Both of these populations require urgent, extensive assistance, having left their homes under duress and without time to plan. We are helping the newcomers with everything from housing and employment to navigating government services, psychosocial support and social activities (such as our recent Lag BaOmer outing to Project PACE for an interactive farm tour). Most importantly, just as we do for all our clients, Ometz provides a sense of stability, reassurance and connection.

Connecting Montrealers of all ages to Yiddish culture and community

L'Annexe: the Ometz Centre for Young Adults is currently partnering with KlezKanada, the Cummings Centre and the Museum of Jewish Montreal for Kultur-krayzl (Culture Circle): an exciting new arts and culture workshop series. It began in April with a 3-part klezmer workshop at L'Annexe for young adults (16-35), led by multi-talented musician Josh Dolgin (aka SoCalled). In May, there was a storytelling workshop with the Cummings Centre. Finally, in September/October, there will be a food workshop done in collaboration with the Wandering Chew and The Museum of Jewish Montreal. The workshops offer young adults unique and fun opportunities to connect with Jewish arts and culture, tap into their creativity, and discover a diverse, intergenerational community.

Planting the seeds for physical and mental health

Our 2024 Intergenerational Community Garden – a collaboration of Ometz, L'Annexe and the Cummings Centre – opens today with a planting party! Throughout the summer, clients are invited to participate in garden preparation, planting, garden maintenance and harvesting. Even clients who are not physically able to do manual labor can sit in the garden and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, as well as the opportunity to socialize. Additionally, Ometz cooking and collective kitchen groups will use the fresh produce for weekly recipes, and participants can take the vegetables home to use for their own nutritious and delicious meals. This innovative partnership has many benefits for our clients' physical and mental health, and we're excited to bring community members of all ages together to enjoy the garden and its bounty.

Looking ahead: Summer fun with a therapeutic approach

Agence Ometz, in collaboration with clinique entourfamille, is once again offering the Small Steps Summer Camp, which seamlessly blends fun-filled summer activities with a therapeutic approach to help children build their skills and confidence as they prepare for school. Through playful activities facilitated by our occupational therapist, speech therapist, and other experienced professionals, children will improve their social-emotional skills, speech and language skills, and gross and fine motor skills. The unique program is designed to meet the needs of children with mild to moderate delays in speech and/or motor development, as well as those with difficulties self-regulating and navigating social interaction. To learn more about the camp and how to register, click here

Thinking of You

• Mark your calendars for the 2024 Pearl Leibovitch Community Webinar (November 11) and Clinical Day (November 12)! This year's theme is “Roots & Branches: Cultivating strong sibling bonds from childhood onwards”. More details to follow this fall.
• Volunteering with Ometz is a great way to give back to the community! We are currently looking for French-speaking mentors who can help children and teens improve their French language skills for school, or help adults with their conversational skills to prepare for French exams and/or job opportunities. The time commitment is once a week, up to 1-hour per session, for a minimum of 3 months. Knowledge of additional languages, such as Hebrew or Russian, is a bonus! To find out more, email [email protected].
• To read more of our recent press coverage, visit Ometz's Newsroom page.
• Don't forget to follow Ometz on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn (and L'Annexe on Instagram and Facebook) to stay up-to-date on all our latest news!

Thank you for giving people the courage to keep moving forward

We are so appreciative of everyone who already contributed to our 2024 A Chance to Shine No Show Gala! From screenings for preschool-aged children to employment assistance for young adults to social services for Israeli families seeking temporary respite from war, your generosity supports a wide range of vital programs and services. Whether someone is in crisis, or dealing with the smaller challenges of everyday life, we are dedicated to helping them find a sense of stability, empowerment and connection.

You still have until June 30 to help children, young adults and their families. If you haven't made your gift (of any size!) yet, and are in a position to do so, please click here:

Thank you for being part of our community!

Warmly,

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